Homecoming
by KateToast
Summary: After following Bandstand to California with Roxanne, Meg returns ten months later, and re-immerses herself into the life and people she left behind. Meg's POV. DISCONTINUED.
1. Going Home

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**Disclaimer**: I don't own American Dreams. If I did, I'd cry, because I'd be so happy.

**A/N**: Let me start off by saying, I love this show. And I noticed that there isn't much fanfic out there for it. So, here I am, writing a fic. I should be working on my other WIP, and yet, I'm not. I just bought the first season of AD on DVD, so I've been in obsessive-mode lately, which spawned into this.

Everything will explain itself as the story progresses. I was born many years after 1968, so if I get things incorrect, then I apologize (you'll notice I don't incorporate that much 60's stuff in the story). And also, I'm a Sam/Meg shipper, even though I can deal with Meg with other guys. Just a little warning (hint hint) of what might be coming.

**Spoilers**: Not many, this story mostly just contains ideas that some have speculated may happen.

**And now...**

**Homecoming**

**XXX**

"_I'm going to L.A. with Roxanne."_

Helen glanced around the room that both her daughters used to share as those words echoed in her mind. Only one daughter called this her bedroom now.

She fingered the necklace she was wearing; it was a nervous habit she seemed to have developed over the years. In the other hand, Helen had a death-grip on the latest letter she had received from Meg, her eldest daughter who had followed the TV show _American Bandstand _to California with her best friend almost ten months ago, forgetting college in retaliation of her father's insistence that he wouldn't pay. Meg had promised to write to her mother once a week, in addition to calling twice a week, and coming home for Christmas. She hadn't gone back on her word yet.

The letter had come four days ago, and Helen hadn't put it down yet. By now, she knew the whole thing by heart:

'_Dear Mom,_

_I'm glad to hear that the preparation for dad's new store is going well. It's good that he can finally open this second one in North Philly; it's really going to help business._

_I broke up with Mark. He was the one I told you about two months ago? Rox said it was just time, because he was too clingy. _

_I've actually got some big news. Roxanne and I are coming home._'

The first time Helen had read the important news, she had hardly believed what her daughter had said, and had to re-read the sentence four times. The rest of it just informed her mother of when she'd be returning ('_June twenty-seventh_'), why she was leaving Bandstand ('_I'm getting too old for it, I think_'), and her plans ('_maybe I'll see if Penn will take me back_').

Well, the day was June twenty-seventh. Jack had gone to pick Meg up at the airport with Patty and Will, and though neither of her youngest children said it, Helen could tell they were excited their sister was coming home.

The door opening downstairs brought Helen back to reality, and she turned so she was facing the hallway from the bedroom doorway.

"Meg's home!" she heard Will yell.

Helen was torn between crying and running down the stairs, and in the end decided to do both. She felt as if she couldn't get down the damn steps fast enough, but stopped short as she watched Jack carrying in a large trunk- Meg's large trunk- through the door. Behind him was her daughter.

Her Margaret was home.

**XXX**

_Your going home._

Meg had been repeating those words in her head for the past week; ever since she and Roxanne had decided they'd had enough of Los Angeles and wanted to return to Philadelphia. Really, she had wanted to stay home when she had returned for Christmas, but right before she had left she had met someone. Mark.

She was glad she had dumped him two weeks ago. He'd been too...well, old. Mark was twenty-two, and Meg had started feeling uncomfortable when he'd wanted to go a little faster than her. She'd had enough of those kind of guys.

Meg had told her mother in a letter that she was coming home, instead of in one of their phone calls. She had thought it'd be easier. Once Helen had received the letter, though, she had called her daughter up.

The airport was bustling, but Meg was just glad to be off the plane. They made her nervous. Roxanne was talking a mile a minute.

"I don't see them. Do you think they're here? What if they went to the wrong airport? My mom probably won't even recognize me."

Meg gave her best friend a look. Roxanne and her mother had reconciled a month before the two young women had left. Neither looked much different, only maybe a little older with slightly different hairstyles.

"Don't worry, they'll see us," Meg replied, and no sooner had she said the words than she heard her name being called by a slightly agitated voice.

"Meg! Meg!"

She spun around twice, trying to spot who was calling her. Finally, her father and two younger siblings came into sight.

"Dad!" she called back, and ran towards him. Her father had never been the affectionate type, and she hadn't exactly left on good terms with him, but at that moment, Meg didn't care. Jack opened his arms, accepting his oldest daughter's hug.

Roxanne's mother found them soon after, and once everyone had hugged and said their 'welcome home's', the Bojarski's departed.

The Pryor's exited the airport once they located Meg's luggage, and got into the car.

"I got a fish Meg, it's really cool," Will said happily from the backseat.

"It's going to die if you don't feed it once a day," Patty countered snottily beside him, then looked at Meg, who was seated in shotgun. "He forgets to feed it."

Meg laughed, and realized how much she had missed her family. She hadn't seen them since Christmas, and even then she had had to get back to L.A. quickly for a special show they were doing on Bandstand. She had started helping behind the scenes while in California after one of their set people had called in sick unexpectedly and she had taken over the position for three days, by recommendation of the producer.

"JJ and Beth are gonna be at the house a little late," Jack said as he kept his eyes on the road. Save for the large hug back in the airport, Meg noted that her father had kept quiet. She knew he must've still resented her decision to follow the show across the country in the first place; he had told her the fact enough times.

"How's John doing? God, he looks like he's getting so big from the pictures mom sent me," she said, trying to bring up some conversation.

JJ had returned from Vietnam soon after John Pryor III was born. Since there was already a Jack, and a JJ, everyone called the baby John.

Patty sighed. "He's loud. Whenever they come over he cries, unless Beth or JJ are holding him. He likes mom, too, but that's about it."

The young couple had married before Meg had left, and had bought an apartment nearby with the help of Jack, which thrilled the Pryor family to have their son and brother so close, along with his wife and son.

"But he's walking and talking a little bit," Will defended. "I got to watch him one time while JJ and Beth were at school."

Meg frowned. Her mother hadn't mentioned that her brother and sister-in-law were attending college classes again. "I guess I've missed a few things," she said slowly.

"You've missed a hell of a lot more than a few," Jack muttered, loud enough for his three children to hear, but Meg decided to ignore his comment.

The rest of the trip home was silent, with everyone wrapped up in their own thoughts. Meg couldn't help but glance back at her brother and sister, studying their features closely. Patty was already sixteen, and had just finished her junior year, since she skipped eighth grade two years prior. And Will was eleven, going on twelve. He had grown taller, and larger, and Meg noticed that he was starting to look even more like their older brother. When she stole a glance of her father, she saw how his eyes had drooped slightly, and some laugh lines weren't disappearing like they had before.

Meg sat back and stared at the road ahead of them, wondering if what she was feeling inside her heart was the pangs of having missed so much.

**XXX**

Will and Patty had raced out of the car ahead of Meg and their father, both wanting to be the first to announce that their sister was home. Meg saw Jack beginning to say something as he gripped the steering wheel, so she avoided the argument she knew would eventually come and exited the car.

Jack followed, and grabbed her trunk from the car. He began carrying it inside as Meg took a moment to look at her surroundings; the place she had spent eighteen years. No matter how much tension there was between she and her father, Meg didn't regret coming back to Philadelphia.

"Meg's home!" Will yelled up the stairs, and Meg turned towards the house's front door, which Jack was opening. She followed behind him as he lifted her trunk inside.

Her blue eyes rose slowly, taking in every bit of the familiar, yet unfamiliar, house. They finally settled in the middle of the stairs, where Helen stood, gazing at her daughter. Meg didn't even notice the tears that were streaming down her face as she rushed up the few steps that separated her from her mother.

As Helen gripped her close, she whispered, "Welcome home, sweetie."

**XXX**

With all of her things back in her old attic bedroom, and having taken a long tour of the house to see what changes may have been made, Meg returned to the kitchen, where her mother was preparing dinner.

"That smells really good, mom." Meg inspected the kitchen appliances. "Is that a new oven?"

"Yes," Helen answered with a smile. "I got your father to buy a new one in March. I must've forgotten to mention that."

"It's nice."

The two lapsed into silence as Meg sat down at the table.

"It feels really good to be home," she finally said as she watched her mom.

"It's really good to have you back," Helen replied, looking up. "We've all missed you."

"Everyone?" Meg asked, her question tinted with sarcasm.

Helen knew exactly what she meant. "Your father missed you, no matter how much the two of you deny it."

Meg tapped her fingers against the table. "Well, _he_ pushed _me_ away. He wouldn't pay for college." She huffed, then added for good measure, "I mean I had gotten into _Penn_."

"He was going to let you go, Meg. He said he would, and then the next day you told us you were going to follow Bandstand across the country. You hadn't even told us that you never replied to their acceptance letter. You could've at least done that, after them letting you in."

"I didn't see the point," Meg said. "Up until then he'd insisted that only boys went."

Helen stopped stirring the mix she was making to stare at her daughter. "Well, he was wrong, and he realized that fact."

Meg stood. "Well, he didn't realize it soon enough."

Mother and daughter locked eyes, and finally Meg turned away, and began to walk out of the room. She stopped when Helen called out to her.

"Meg." The young woman glanced back, and the two stood once again in silence. "You're an adult now. _You_ decide what to do, and if you really want it, then your father and I do too."

She gave her daughter one last look, and then went to check the oven. Meg stood in the doorway for only a moment more, then headed towards the door. She was about to open it, then decided against the idea and went up the stairs.

She needed to decide what to do.

**XXX**


	2. Philly Friend

**Disclaimer**: American Dreams is not owned by me.

**A/N**: Thanks for the reviews, you dudes are wicked awesome. I actually didn't think I'd get any, since AD doesn't seem popular in fanfiction.

If there are long times between updates, then I apologize in advance. I write this as the ideas come to me, and I really don't have it all _totally_ planned out, and you all understand how real life gets in the way. Mine just happens to get in the way _frequently_.

**XXX**

Meg sat in the living room, watching Patty and Will fight over what station to play on the radio that was placed in the room. Jack paced slowly by the couch where his oldest daughter sat, while Helen could be heard moving around in the kitchen.

The doorbell finally rang, and Meg jumped up. "I got it," she said quickly and half-walked, half-ran to the door, throwing it open.

"JJ!" she yelled and grabbed her brother around the neck in a hug. He returned the embrace with a grin, and Meg let go to move on to Beth, who was holding John in one arm.

"You finally get tired of being on TV?" JJ teased as he and his wife entered the house.

"I guess," Meg replied as they walked into the living room. She cooed over John as Beth sat down.

"Look how big he is," she said, almost in awe.

Beth nodded and bounced him. "Yeah, he's really growing fast." She glanced up at her husband's sister. "We missed you, Meg."

Meg hid her pleased smile as best she could, and nodded. "Well, I missed all of you. L.A.'s so different from Philadelphia."

"You better tell us all about it," JJ commanded as he sat down beside Beth. Patty and Will also quieted down, since Jack had told them to turn the radio off.

Helen came into the room, greeted the new arrivals, and then sat, holding John.

Meg decided to start off from after she had left at Christmas. "I was really sorry I had to go so quick, but Bandstand needed me, since I'd been helping so much backstage, and we had that special coming up."

"The show looked great, by the way," Beth added. "We watched it."

"I'm glad you liked it," Meg said. "Well, Roxanne and I were pretty busy with that, so we didn't have much spare time, and then we were both working to pay for the apartment on top of that, but-"

She was cut off as the phone began ringing. Everyone turned to face the doorway, no one making a move to pick it up.

By the third ring, Patty sighed loudly. "I got it."

The others began talking almost immediately after the phone was picked up, but Meg listened to her younger sister, who sounded muffled because they were separated by a wall.

"Yes, this is Patty...She got home a few hours ago...How did you know?..._Really_?" Patty sounded both surprised, and yet not surprised at all. "Yup, I'll get her, hold on. Meg!"

Hearing her name called, Meg departed from the living room, leaving behind the curious stares of her family. Patty was holding her hand over the receiver, a smirk across her face. "You didn't tell us you'd kept in touch with Sam."

Meg excused the blush that spread across her face as a stupid reaction to Patty's crazy insinuations. "Well, he's my _friend_, and friends talk." She grabbed the phone.

"Yeah, okay," Patty said as she rolled her eyes. She stood by her sister, until Meg glared at her. "I'm going, I'm going."

"Hello?" Meg asked once Patty had left.

"Hey, Meg," Sam's smooth voice answered over the phone.

The sound brought a smile to Meg's face. She hadn't seen her friend since they bumped into each other at Pryor's TV and Radio while she was home for Christmas. The two had begun talking about this and that, and before she knew it, Meg was promising to call him when she could to give him updates about what was happening in California. He always told her that he'd watched her on Bandstand.

"I'm so glad you called," she said. "I was going to call a little later, after JJ and Beth got here and everything."

Sam wasted no time in explaining himself, "I didn't even know you were gonna be home by now. I had just called to see if you'd be available to see your old Philly friend. Unless you're too good for me now that you've been across the country."

Meg heard him smiling into the phone. He had broken up with Melanie, the girl that hadn't wanted them to hang out anymore, a long time ago, a little after Meg had broken up with bad-boy Chris. As far as she knew, Sam hadn't had any steady girlfriend since the Penn girl. She'd also noticed that he'd become less shy since he'd gotten used to being a college student, but was still the soft-spoken guy she had met over three years before.

"Of course I want to see you. You should stop by later."

"Alright. I've got to get to the store early tomorrow, though-"

"What store?"

"I'm working for your dad this summer," Sam told her.

Meg wondered when this new development had taken place. "Oh, well, that's great. Really great."

"Yeah. Hold on," he asked, and Meg heard the receiver being covered up, and Sam telling someone something. He came back on, "I've gotta go, Angela wants to use the phone. But I'll see you later."

"Okay," Meg affirmed, another blush creeping up on her face. She didn't bother thinking up any excuses this time. "Tell Angela I say 'hi'. And I'll see you later."

They hung up, and Meg let out a sigh as she placed the phone back onto its cradle. She smoothed her hair, then returned to the living room.

Patty glanced at her sister. "Why are you blushing?" she asked, drawing attention to her older sister, who had tried to make a quick entrance.

"Sam's coming over later," Meg told her parents, ignoring her sister's knowing stares entirely.

_What's the big deal? I just miss my friend_, she justified in her head.

**XXX**

"I got it!" Will called from downstairs as there was a knock on the door.

Meg was unpacking the rest of the clothes she hadn't gotten to put away yet. Beth and JJ hadn't been able to stay long after dinner, since little John was becoming too fussy. Both had made Meg promise to visit their apartment, since she had never seen it before.

An old '45 of "My Boyfriend's Back" was playing on her record player. Meg listened, remembering when she actually saw this performed on Bandstand. Of course, she'd seen a lot of performances on the show since then.

"Sam's here!" Will shouted up the stairs, and Meg placed the shirt she had been folding into her dresser as Helen was heard berating her son for yelling so much.

Smoothing her hair slightly, Meg gave a final overall look at her appearance in the mirror hanging on the door. She hadn't seen Sam in months, and she wanted to at least look presentable.

Once satisfied, she quickly went down the attic steps, then through the hallway, but slowed down as she reached the fourth stair that led to the first floor. She didn't want to look over-excited.

That thought, however, immediately disappeared when Meg caught sight of her friend, who was standing in the living room with her father.

"Sam!" she said, more loudly than necessary.

He turned and grinned at her, and Meg reflected, as she hugged him, that he'd grown a few more centimeters, and filled out even more.

As the two pulled away from each other, Sam was still grinning. "So, you're back," he stated.

"I'm back," Meg agreed, and giggled a bit for no real reason, something she had started doing in California, since it seemed every other girl was doing it.

"You look good," he said, and she could almost see the old, shy Sam.

"You do too. Have you been working out?" she teased, and hit him playfully on the chest.

Jack cleared his throat. "He's been a big help moving some stuff into the new store."

"Well, I'm just grateful your dad hired me," Sam said with a glance towards Mr. Pryor.

The three stood in silence, and finally Meg gave her father a look, asking him to leave without words. He didn't comply, and she knew he was somehow punishing her without actually doing anything.

"Hey, dad, do you mind if Sam and I take a walk? To catch up," she added, wanting him to realize that she didn't want him around.

Jack stared at his daughter with a fake almost-smile. "You're an adult, you can do whatever you want."

Meg heard the slight nastiness in his voice, but decided to let it go.

"I'll be home later."

Sam looked curiously between the two, but didn't say anything, until Meg grabbed his arm and led him towards the door. "We won't be long," he promised the intimidating Pryor father.

Jack was standing with his arms crossed over his chest as the two left.

**XXX**

"So you really worked at a dog groomer's?" Sam asked with a low chuckle.

Meg nodded as they made their way down the street. The two hadn't been walking long; only about fifteen minutes. "Yeah, it was just...crazy. I now know that I'll never be any sort of stylist."

They kept going, and Meg noticed that for only 7:30 P.M. on a summer evening, it was pretty quiet.

"What was going on back there?"

The question made Meg whip her head around at her friend. "What are you talking about?" She knew exactly what he was talking about.

"You and your dad."

To gain some time, Meg crossed her arms over her chest and kicked a stray rock. "He's just...being him."

Sam kicked at the same rock, and the two began taking turns with it. "What does that mean? I don't want to be nosy, Meg. We've just always been able to talk."

Meg sighed. "I know." She paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "I guess he's still mad at me for leaving. He never wanted me to in the first place, and you know how my dad never lets go of anything. He's trying to make me apologize, or something, for leaving. Well, I'm definitely not going to." She stopped, and rolled her eyes at herself. "Look at me, I'm babbling on about my father."

"It's okay," Sam said easily, as the two made the turn that led them back onto the Pryor's street.

"Let's move on to a better subject, okay?" At his nod, Meg linked arms with him with a small smile. "So, what's new in your life?"

"If there was anything new, I would've told you by now," he replied, bumping against her slightly.

A car drove by them, and slowed noticeably so the driver could catch a glimpse of them. Meg recognized the person as one of her neighbors, and wanted to yell at them for their judgmental and obvious stare. Sam stayed oblivious.

She acted as if the moment with her neighbor hadn't just happened; as if the two hadn't shared a look, one full of pure prejudice, and the other full of pure anger.

"C'mon, there must be something. Is there anyone new and special in your life?"

Sam smiled a bit, and glanced at Meg. "Now that you're back there is."

Meg felt her breath almost catch in her throat at those words, and she had to peer into his face to realize that he wasn't serious. At least, he wasn't completely serious. This was the type of thing she had been having a hard time getting used to: the new, almost _flirty_, side of her friend.

"Well, that's an obvious one," she retorted, as if the conversation was a normal one for the two.

By now they had reached the house again. Meg led Sam to the car, their arms still unconsciously locked, and leaned against it. She finally realized she was missing one of her limbs, and slipped her arm out of his. He stood in front of her.

"So...," she started, unsure of what either were supposed to say or do.

"I, uh, better get home," Sam said. "I've gotta get to the store early."

"Right," Meg agreed. "Thanks for listening and everything."

"Sure," Sam waved it off, but stayed standing before her, smiling at her. "I'm glad you're back, Meg."

"I am too," she said in a quieter voice than she anticipated. "I'll stop by the store tomorrow."

"I'll be there."

"Good."

"Yup."

Neither made a move.

"Okay, well, goodnight," Sam finally said.

"Goodnight," Meg called as he turned and started down her driveway. He looked back and smiled one last time, before disappearing down the street.

"How was your walk?" Patty asked in a teasing voice as her older sister entered the TV room.

"Good."

Meg glanced out the window, wondering what had just happened between she and her friend, and why she felt so melted inside.

**XXX**


	3. New Store

**Disclaimer**: American Dreams is definitely not owned by me.

**A/N**: Okay, the past like, two episodes of the show have been absolutely amazing. I could never, ever, compare to that. So this story is turning slightly AU, since some of the things I've explained are now taking place, and I'm guessing it's gonna be pretty different from my quick explanation of things.

Keep watching, Sundays at 8:00!

**XXX**

"You look tired," Helen commented as Meg entered the kitchen the next day. A glance at the clock told her it was already late morning.

"I couldn't sleep," she replied, taking a piece of bread and sticking it in the toaster. She stared at the little machine, wondering who first invented the toaster. That led her to question how electricity worked, and how it went through those wires on the street, and suddenly Meg felt as if she were back in school, trying to answer these questions for homework.

Helen was tidying up the dishes that were strewn about the kitchen. "Will and Patty went to the pool to swim, and your father left early this morning for the store. I have today off, so I'm going to be cleaning up the house most of the day, and I've got some errands to run, and later JJ is coming over to-"

She stopped talking when she noticed that Meg wasn't listening. "Meg?"

Meg jerked her head up from her position of staring at the toaster. "Yes, I heard you, Will and Patty are at the pool, dad's at work, you've got errands."

"Is there something wrong?" Helen asked kindly as Meg removed the now-toasted bread from the toaster and buttered it.

"I'm just...trying to get used to everything again." She chuckled. "You know, Rox actually worked at a diner for a few weeks in L.A. She got fired for eating the food."

"Do you miss being there?"

The question was sudden, and Meg actually hesitated before glancing at her mother's almost hurt expression and saying, "No. Not at all."

Helen brightened at this. "So, JJ is coming over later to take Patty driving, and Beth is dropping off John for a little while so she can go into work. Maybe you can watch him?"

"Well, I was going to go see the new store," Meg said slowly.

"Oh? Any reason?" Helen looked at her daughter as if she knew there was an ulterior motive for her wanting to go to the store.

"Not really. This is a big deal, I want to see it."

"Alright."

The toast crunched in her mouth, and Meg considered why she wasn't telling her mother she really wanted to see Sam. Though, from the tone of voice Helen was using, Meg thought she may have guessed something else was spurring this visit anyway.

**XXX**

The bell above the door jingled with a clean, clear sound that reverberated throughout the store as Meg entered the newest Pryor's TV and Radio. She looked around at the freshly painted walls and brand new stands that would be holding new appliances by the end of the day.

The store was opening in a week, and by the looks of things, it was crunch time.

The place was packed with boxes that had yet to be opened, and people putting last minute touches anywhere they thought needed it. Meg was surprised at the number of men working there.

She spotted her father giving instructions to a man, and walked over to them. Once the other man had departed, Meg smiled at her dad. "Wow."

Jack looked almost pleased with his daughter's one-word approval, but tried to hide it. "Yeah, it's come along nicely."

"You've got a lot of guys working here," Meg pointed out.

"I wanted to make sure everything was perfect, you know, it's important when you're opening a new store."

"Right," she agreed, and the two then stood in slightly strained silence.

"Well, I gotta get some stuff, so I better go..." Jack said, looking for a way out.

Meg didn't fight his attempt to abandon their awkwardness. "Okay. I'm just gonna look around, and then I'm-"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me," Jack interrupted, holding up a hand, his voice harsh if you listened closely. "You're an adult."

He turned and left. Meg vowed then and there that if she heard her father say 'you're an adult' one more time, she'd scream.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

The voice behind her made Meg jump, and she twirled quickly to face Sam, who was smiling slightly, both arms preoccupied with carrying a large TV. He was sweating, and seemed to have removed his normal shirt so that he was only wearing his t-shirt.

"You scared me." She pressed her hand to her heart for affect.

"Sorry."

"It's okay."

Meg wondered when her conversations with people had turned into long silences.

"So...it's looking good," Meg finally said.

Sam glanced around. "Yeah, well, everyone's been working hard." He shifted. "Lemmi just put this TV down."

"Oh, yeah, sure, sorry," Meg fumbled, taking a step back to let him pass. She watched him disappear into the back room, and then pop back out moments later.

When he reached her, he wiped his forehead with the back of his wrist. "Man, it's hot."

"Yeah, it's weird weather. I mean, it's only July first. Well, tomorrow is July first, but...you know what I mean."

"Yeah."

_Think of something to say_, Meg commanded her brain. Since when had it become so hard to have a normal conversation with Sam? "So, uh, guess where I'm re-applying to."

"Where?" Sam leaned against a wall, obviously tired, but still listening to his friend closely.

"Pennsylvania University."

Smile growing, Sam stood straight up again. "Really? That's great, Meg. But did you say re-apply? Did you already apply?"

Now Meg leaned against the wall. She didn't notice the blatant stare she was receiving from one of the white men moving boxes. "I applied, and got in, last year. But...my dad..."

"Ah," Sam said knowingly. "He didn't want you to go?"

"I thought he didn't, and then I guess he did, and it's all just , to say the least."

Sam nodded in understanding, and that was when his father, Henry Walker, entered the store and spotted the two. "Is that Meg Pryor?" he asked loudly.

Meg grinned at Sam's father as he came over. "Your father told me you were home, but I didn't believe him," Henry stated. "How was it out west?"

"Crazy," Meg responded immediately, and Henry chuckled in his low-pitched way.

"Well, welcome home," he said, and then wished the two good-bye and went into the back.

Once Henry was gone, Sam turned back to Meg. "He's managing the store, so he thinks he should be here 24/7."

"I heard. I think it's really great."

Meg finally looked around the store once again, and noticed the young worker who was watching them. He diverted his eyes in the most un-subtle of ways, but not before smirking at her a bit.

"Do you wanna have lunch?" Meg asked finally, and Sam brightened.

"Sure," he replied, "I've just got a few more things to do."

"And uh, me and Roxanne were gonna check out the Vinyl Crocodile a little later, so you should come after we eat. If you want." She felt herself blush a little at how stupid she sounded.

"Alright," Sam agreed, now a grin on his face.

"I'll wait for you outside," Meg informed him, and the two went their separate ways.

Meg exited the store, and moments later, she heard the little bell jingle again. "I'm thinking we should go to that new-"

She stopped talking when she had turned fully around and saw that the person wasn't Sam, but the worker who had been watching them from inside.

"Oh, sorry, I thought you were someone else," Meg apologized quickly and quietly, extremely embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it," the guy replied. He had a deep and scratchy voice, but looked to be only a year or two older than Meg. He leaned against the wall beside the large windows and took out a cigarette. "Want one?" he offered.

Meg shook her head. "No, thanks." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm Kyle," he said suddenly. "You're Jack Pryor's daughter, right? Peg?"

"Uh, it's Meg, and...how did you know?" She _really_ didn't like how this was going.

"I've seen pictures on his desk at the other place. I've been workin' for your dad since last winter." Kyle stood up from his leaning position, and took a step closer to Meg. She stepped back casually. "You're pretty."

"Uh, thanks," she said slowly. He was making her uncomfortable, and obviously he wanted it like that.

"You dating the colored guy inside?"

Meg took a breath, and was about to answer when Sam came out of the store. He glanced between the two of them.

"Sam!" she said loudly, beyond thankful that he had decided to come out at that time.

"Everything okay?" he asked, looking between them, and Meg was surprised at how defensive he sounded.

"Yeah, I was just gettin' to know Meg," Kyle told him with a smirk, putting out his cigarette.

"We should go," Meg prompted, grabbing Sam's arm.

"See you later, Sam. And Meg," Kyle added, "don't be a stranger around here." He winked and went back inside.

Sam was following Kyle inside with his eyes, and once satisfied at his distance from them, glanced at his friend. "Was he bothering you?"

Meg shrugged. "He was being...weird. Let's just go," she said.

Nodding, Sam followed behind Meg, but looked back one more time to see Kyle smirking at their retreating forms.

**XXX**


	4. Same Old Fight

**Disclaimer**: Though I don't own American Dreams, I really wish I did. Sigh.

**A/N**: Kinda short chapter, but I noticed that they're always fighting on this show, so I had to write a yelling match, and I figured, there's only so much arguing a person can take, so I just decided to post these two scenes. Really, I'm just making this stuff up as I go along, since I don't have a definite outline or plan or anything.

When I got the e-mails with my reviews, and I read them, I actually giggled. Yes, that's how happy you guys make me. I giggled. Out loud. 

Lovers of AD: write fics! The show is worth it, just give it a try! And don't forget, watch tonight's episode!

**XXX**

Roxanne flew into the record store ahead of Meg and Sam, and once they reached the door, their friend was actually hugging the counter.

"I missed this place," Roxanne told them.

"Obviously," Sam chuckled.

"Oh, I swear I dreamt about the listening booths for a week straight!"

Meg shook her head at her best friend's antics. She had so many memories of the Vinyl Crocodile. Her first boyfriend had worked here, she had come here to do signings for Bandstand, she and Sam had spend hours upon hours listening and trading records, not to mention the amount of music she had bought.

She began flipping through the records that were placed under the letter 'L' as Roxanne kept running around the store and Sam checked out another selection. He gave up soon, though, and rejoined his friend.

"So, uh, back at the store..." Sam began slowly, eyeing Meg.

"What about it?" Meg asked, playing dumb.

Sam sighed. "That guy, Kyle, you were talking to."

Meg noticed the edgier tone Sam's voice took, and boldly looked him straight in the face. "Yeah? What about him?"

"He's just...bad news, Meg." The honesty Sam exhibited made Meg wonder just what type of news it was.

She decided to find out. "Why?"

"Well, he's just a big player, and he doesn't have the best personality...But if you like him, then-"

"I definitely don't like him at all," Meg stated firmly. "He's a jerk. Thanks for sticking up for me."

"I guess I knew you'd do the same for me," Sam replied, sounding unsure and avoiding Meg's eye. He busied himself with the stacks.

His words made her consider. Would she do the same for him? Of course she would; she had in the past. "Yes. Of course I would. Because we're friends."

For some reason, saying the word 'friends' made Meg feel disappointed.

**XXX**

Meg shrugged off her light jacket as silently as she could as she eased the front door shut and she entered her home later that night. The place was darkened, but Meg could hear the TV going from the other room. She knew coming home to that was never a good thing.

The top of her father's head was visible over the back of the chair he was sitting in, watching a baseball game. Wondering if she could slip upstairs, Meg turned, but a little too quickly, so that she knocked over a picture that had been hanging on the wall.

"Meg?" Jack asked.

"Uh, yeah, dad," she finally responded. "I'm just going up to bed." Yet still Meg stood in the doorway, knowing her dad was going to say something. "The game go into extra innings?"

"Yeah."

The only noise was the cheering of the crowd at the baseball game on the television.

Jack broke the silence first. "You have fun?"

"Yeah."

"Where'd you go?"

"Oh, well, we went to the new diner, and the Vinyl Crocodile."

"Just you and Roxanne?"

Her hesitance was enough for Jack to turn around so Meg could see half his face over the chair.

"Sam was with us, too," Meg added without any trace of fear.

Jack sighed and rubbed his face with his hand. "Meg, what are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" Now she was just confused.

"You've been home two days, and both days you've been doing something with Sam."

"So?"

"So?" Jack repeated, standing up and shutting off the TV. "Meg, just because you're almost nineteen doesn't mean you can be running around with a guy. Especially-" He stopped abruptly, glancing away from his daughter.

Meg didn't care about keeping her voice down now. "Especially what? Because he's black?" When Jack didn't agree or disagree, she went on, "I can't believe you, dad! You _know_ Sam! He's probably the nicest guy I've ever known, and his color shouldn't matter!"

"It's not that easy, Meg! I've had two different guys who are working on the store tell me they saw you two...close!"

She couldn't believe his accusations. "_Close_?" she echoed loudly, shaking her head. "It shouldn't matter _who_ I'm with!"

"It just doesn't look good, Meg! Not for me, not for Henry, and not for you two! I know Sam is a nice kid, and I've told you before, I don't want you getting him in trouble with other people." Jack took a deep breath. "People talk, Meg, and a lot of the time, they're not talking good stuff."

"It's none of _their _business," she said, then turned quickly. Meg took a step, then twisted back. "It's none of _yours_, either," she shot, sounding exactly like her father.

Almost colliding with her mother on the stairs, Meg kept running up, past Will and Patty, who were both looking confused. She finally stopped when she reached her bed, collapsing on it to cry in peace.

She wondered if it would have been better if she had stayed out west.

**XXX**


	5. Past Feelings

**Disclaimer**: I don't own American Dreams.

**A/N**: You guys, last Sunday's episode was just so...wow...that I felt like we all needed to take it in before I could update. That, and wasn't working. Heh. But seriously, JJ coming home? Was just wicked awesome.

It also makes this story pretty AU now. Ah, well.

You reviewers are awesome. It's good to see AD get some little appreciation somewhere.

**XXX**

"I got a job!" Roxanne burst out as Meg stood outside the door of her best friend's apartment, having not even gotten the chance to knock.

"Really?" Meg asked enthusiastically as she entered the living room. "Where?"

"At a hairdresser's, only a few blocks away." Roxanne sighed happily and plopped onto the couch, smiling. The small fan sitting on an end table blew cool air noisily at them. "Meg, I have a _job_. I'll be able to move out!"

Roxanne's mother had married Walter, but it hadn't worked out, and the two had gotten a divorce only recently. Meg knew her friend was sick of living with her mom, and grandmother, and had wanted to find a place right when they had returned from California, but Roxanne hadn't had the money.

"Wow, Rox, this is great," Meg told her, grinning and sitting in a chair that faced the couch.

"I know, I'll be able to throw all those _wild_ parties without an adult looking over my shoulder," Roxanne joked.

Meg knew that that was the moment she was supposed to laugh, but the command didn't make it out of her brain. She was too preoccupied, still thinking about the argument with her father three nights before. She had only seen Sam once since then, and the meeting had been brief and polite; not like their normal friendly conversations. Meg wondered if he had gotten some sort of similar lecture from Henry.

"Earth to Meg," Roxanne said, waving a hand in front of her face. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Meg answered, laughing off her spacey mood.

"I can tell something is on your mind."

Considering whether to tell Roxanne or not was something Meg had done a lot of since her father had basically told her to stop hanging out with Sam. She decided that she might as well.

"It's just…my dad. And Sam."

"Ah," Roxanne chirped knowingly.

"'Ah' what?"

"You've been with Sam a lot since we got home, and your dad doesn't like it."

Meg wondered how Roxanne had gotten so good at reading people. "Pretty much, yeah. He said people have been telling him that me and Sam have been _close_."

Roxanne was now filing her nails. "Well, you guys _have_ been close," she said as if it were the most obvious thing.

"No we haven't," Meg firmly stated. "He's my friend, I haven't seen him in months, why can't I do things with him?"

Roxanne smirked. "Maybe because you're starting to see him as _more_ than just your friend?"

The blush was back, and Meg felt as if she were red all over her body. "No I'm not."

"Please. You could cut the sexual tension between you two with a knife, to be cliché about it."

Meg decided not to respond at all, lest her best friend keep giving examples that prove she may like Sam. Roxanne respected her silence, and went back to filing her nails.

Did she like Sam? Meg wasn't sure, she'd always had a special place in her heart for her friend. He'd been there for her numerous times; he'd listened, given input, and taken her side when the situation seemed correct for him to. Even when she had been dating other guys, and he other girls, she'd made time for Sam. Sure, they'd had their share of difficulties, considering the way people acted towards black and white people these days.

But did she _like like _him (boy, did she sound like Will)?

"Rox," Meg began, "what if…I mean, if I…" She let out a breath. "How could I really be sure?"

Roxanne smirked and leaned in, glad to be finally included in the secret. "Spend more time with him. See how being with him makes you feel."

"But what about all those other people?"

"Meg, you've got to not care about them, and follow your heart." Roxanne cocked her head to the side. "Man, I'm full of lines today, huh?"

**XXX**

Meg left Roxanne's half an hour later, feeling more confused than when she had arrived. She took the bus back home, checked in with her mother, then walked the few blocks to JJ and Beth's apartment, where she had been invited to when she had returned home.

The outside was pleasant-looking, and the inside was equally as nice. Meg checked the small piece of paper she'd written their apartment number down on, and made her way through the hallway and up two flights of stairs, until finally stopping outside of apartment twenty. She knocked anxiously.

"Meg!" Beth exclaimed as she opened the door, stepping back to let her sister-in-law in.

"Hey," Meg replied.

The two women hugged, and when they let go, John began crying.

"He's so fussy," Beth said, lifting her son from his playpen. "Do you want to hold him?"

Meg smiled. "Sure." She took John into her arms.

She peered into his tiny face as he sat on her lap, amazed at how much he looked like her older brother. Meg remembered when John was born, the night of the blackout and meteor shower, when none of them knew if JJ was coming home. She had still been with Chris then.

Thinking of Chris was something Meg hadn't done in awhile, so she decided to not continue the thought. He'd broken her heart in the end, just like all the others had.

"He must really like you," Beth commented from the small kitchen that joined with the living room, "he'd usually be screaming by now."

Meg shrugged. "It's a talent, I guess," she chuckled.

"Here, have some lemonade," Beth said as she sat down across from her sister-in-law with two tall glasses.

Meg accepted, and the two fell into an easy silence, both watching John get comfortable in Meg's arms.

"So," Beth began, "you never really got to tell me all your wild stories of California."

"Well, there isn't much more to tell, I said basically all of it at home."

"Meg." Meg looked over at Beth. "I know you've got more to tell than just what you said at your parent's house. What happened with that Mark guy? Your mom said you didn't really talk about meeting him, or the break-up."

Meg weighed her decision of if she should talk about _certain_ things with Beth that she had 'conveniently' never mentioned to her parents. In the end, she decided that Beth was as good as any person to tell, since the woman had been like her older sister long before it had been made official. Plus, she hadn't really talked about Mark with anyone except Roxanne.

"Well, uh, I met him outside Bandstand."

"Oh? Was he a fan?" Beth teased, seeing that Meg needed to make the conversation light. She took John and placed him in his nearby playpen.

"No," Meg replied with a small smile, thinking of the day. "It was a few days before me and Roxanne were coming back here for Christmas. We had stayed late because their newest stage manager had needed help finding some sets in a closet he'd never been to before, and he asked us for help. Roxanne thought he was cute, so we were stuck there an extra hour."

"She doesn't change, huh?" Beth asked with a smile.

Meg nodded and continued, "So we were leaving, and this guy was walking inside as we were walking out, and he bumped into me and his coffee went everywhere."

Beth cringed, "Hopefully not on _you_?"

"Well, only a little got on me. And so he was really apologetic, telling us he was picking something up for his dad, who was a cameraman for the show. He was just…really nice, and cute," Meg added, envisioning her ex-boyfriend in her head. "So Roxanne kind of backed up and pretended to be studying a flyer when she saw him flirting with me (her words, not mine), and he asked me if he could make the whole thing up to me over dinner."

"And you accepted," Beth presumed.

"Well, after Roxanne nearly lost her eyebrows with all the 'subtle' nodding, I did. And so I mentioned I was going home for Christmas, and he said he'd say goodbye before I left, and we'd have dinner when I got back."

Beth had her arms crossed over her chest, looking at Meg with a knowing smile. "You never mentioned him when you came home, Meg."

"I know," Meg said, "but I hadn't thought we'd go out again after dinner."

Satisfied for the moment, Beth took all this in as she sipped at her lemonade. Meg was relieved to find the apartment was air conditioned, so it was deathly hot. She had to admit, as shifty as she felt about her time with Mark, it was nice to talk to someone about him, and have them be eager to hear the story. He was one of the biggest things to happen to her in California.

"So," Beth began again, "you dated him for awhile?"

Meg shifted slightly in her seat. "Um, yeah, about five months."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

They sat in silence again, as Beth seemed to be considering what to ask next. "So uh, why did you two…break up?" She asked it carefully.

This was the question Meg had been dreading. Mark had been great; the perfect boyfriend. Not only was he three years older and had already finished college, but he was smart, cute, and the sweetest guy Meg had met, besides Sam. He'd been fun, and different, and laid-back. He'd shown her everything there was to see in their area of California. Meg just hadn't thought that he'd want something in return.

She'd considered sex before, when she was with Chris. But she'd only thought about it for a moment, since they were always wrapped around so much drama. Then they'd broken up, and she'd gone off to California for a change, and that change had come in Mark. She'd liked Mark, but not enough to sleep with him. But, being twenty-two, and obviously more experienced than herself, he'd thought that was where their relationship was going.

It wasn't. So Meg dumped him before they had even really discussed the subject. Sure, she'd entertained the idea, but had never actually _really_ thought they'd be doing it. She'd always wanted her first time to be with someone special; someone she loved and trusted. Not just a sweet guy she saw once or twice a week and had fun with.

Beth was waiting for an answer, and Meg didn't really want to divulge into all those details.

"We were just…different. Our lives were going separate ways," Meg answered simply.

It was the truth, to some extent.

**XXX**


	6. Fireworks

**Disclaimer**: American Dreams rocks, but I don't own it.

**A/N**: Here's an update. Happy Turkey Day!

**XXX**

"You're back," a rough voice said as Meg leaned against the counter in her father's new store. It was opening in a few days, and most of the workers had finished up and were done with their jobs.

Meg turned and found just the face she had been praying it wouldn't be: Kyle. "Well, it's my dad's store," she replied with no emotion.

Kyle also leaned against the counter, so Meg pushed herself off and took a few steps away, crossing her arms over her chest. He was looking at her.

"Is there something you want?" Meg asked snippily.

"Yeah," Kyle said, taking a big step closer to her. "I'd like to hang out with you." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Tomorrow's the fourth of July."

"I know."

"Well, maybe you and me could watch the fireworks from my place."

"No, thanks."

Meg had slowly backed up so now she was in the middle of the store, still edging towards the door. She wished she hadn't decided to come after visiting Beth.

Kyle shook his head with a short chuckle and glanced at Meg again. "Why not?"

"Because," Meg began, not actually knowing how to continue. She stumbled on her words. "I don't even know you, and you don't know me. I mean you don't even know if I'm dating someone."

"Are you?" Kyle asked with interest, taking a step forward as Meg took one back. "Dating someone, I mean?"

"Actually," she started, but the door opened right behind her. Surprised, Meg whipped around to come face-to-face with her father and Henry. Sam was following behind them, and when he saw Kyle across the store, he looked at Meg with concern.

"Hey dad," Meg said quickly. "I had just come to see if you had wanted any help, because the store is opening in two days, but you were out, so I was leaving…"

Jack was looking at his daughter, but then glanced at Kyle. "I see you met my daughter," he said to the younger man who had taken a few steps towards the small group.

"Yeah," Kyle replied, except his voice now held something that could be called respect. Meg knew it was a joke. "I was seeing if she needed something."

"Well, uh, thanks," Jack said as he and Henry moved to the counters in the back.

"Well, thanks for the job, Mr. Pryor," Kyle said, and Meg wanted to laugh at how fake he sounded. "I'm glad I'm going to get to help work at your stores."

"You're uh, working at both of them?" Meg asked slowly. "Doing what?"

"Well, we needed extra help since we've got two stores now, so I hired him full-time," Jack informed her, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Oh."

Sam had been quiet the whole time, still standing by the door. Kyle smirked at Meg when he passed by her and exited. She glanced at Sam.

"Sam, I thought you were gonna go to the other store to pick up those papers," Henry said.

"Right, yeah," Sam nodded.

"Mind if I go with you?" Meg asked, and Sam nodded again.

The two left, but Meg still caught her father's disapproving head-shake and Henry's confused glance.

**XXX**

The two had taken the Pryor's TV and Radio truck to get across town, and now Meg sat in the passengers seat, her window all the way down, her hair being blown crazily by the wind.

"So, uh, you guys aren't usually around this time of year," Sam pointed out, looking for conversation. Neither had brought up Kyle.

"Yeah, well with the store opening in two days, my parents decided to skip the trip to the shore. I'm okay with it, since I just got home and everything."

Sam glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as he drove. "I'm uh, glad you guys are gonna be around."

Meg smiled shyly, but averted her eyes. She played with the hem of the short skirt she was wearing. "Me too."

Roxanne's words came back to Meg at that moment: _'Spend more time with him. See how being with him makes you feel.' _She decided to try.

"Are you busy tomorrow night?" she asked casually.

Sam kept his eyes on the road. "Not really, I'll probably just watch the fireworks."

She took a deep breath. "Well, uh, would you want to watch the fireworks with me?" Meg was blushing again, so she tried to cover. "I mean, I know this perfect spot where we could see them really well, I mean you really see all of them, even the really low ones that are sometimes hard to see, and-"

"Sure," Sam said, interrupting Meg's rambling. He turned his head her way, grinning. "Sounds good."

"Good," Meg nodded, trying not to sound too anxious.

Suddenly, she wondered: does this count as a _date_? She was sure she'd never asked a guy out on a date before, that she could remember. If it was a date, she'd need to go through her closet to find the perfect thing to wear, and make sure her hair looked good even with the summer heat, and her makeup…

They reached the store, and Meg decided to stop debating for the moment.

She had all day tomorrow to do that.

**XXX**

It was such a beautiful evening out that Meg could hardly believe it. The temperature was just right so that it was warm, but not humid and hot, the sky was completely clear, and bugs were scarce. She thought that it might be a sign, considering later that evening she and Sam were have their first (sort-of) date.

Helen had decided that the family would have dinner outside that night, so she, Meg, Jack, Patty, and Will were all seated in the yard at their picnic bench.

Meg checked her watch. 6:52. Sam was meeting her at the end of the street at seven-thirty.

"Meg, why do you keep checking your watch?" Patty asked innocently, scooping some more potato salad onto her plate.

"None of your business," Meg replied as she took a sip of iced tea. She may have been old enough to have alcohol legally, but she still didn't feel comfortable drinking in front of her parents.

Helen glanced between her daughters, then spoke to the whole family. "So, after this we'll clean up and head over to the park for the fireworks?"

"I'm meeting Shelly and Grant there," Patty said, then looked at her father. "Is that okay?"

Jack shrugged as he chewed on a bite of a roll. "Sure."

Will turned to his dad. "If Patty can watch with her friends, then can I too?"

"Well…" Helen began, but Jack once again waved it off.

"Fine."

Meg knew this was when she was supposed to mention her own plans. "I'm gonna be watching from somewhere else, so I'm not going with you guys."

"Oh?" Helen asked, interested. "Who are you watching them with?"

Quick-thinking wasn't working with Meg. She had lost contact with all of her friends except Roxanne and Sam when she had left for California. She knew that if she told her dad she was watching them with Sam, he'd lecture her. Again. And honestly, Meg was in too nervous a mood already for an argument.

"Roxanne and I were going to watch from the top of her building," she covered smoothly. Lying like this made her feel like she was in high school again.

"Looks like it's just you and me," Helen said to her husband. They shared a smile that didn't go unnoticed by Meg. She was glad her parents still enjoyed spending time together; it was reassuring for some reason.

They finished dinner, and at seven-eighteen, Meg begged out of cleaning up by saying she had to meet Roxanne. Her mother waved her off, telling her to have a good time, and to call if she'd be home later than midnight.

Meg rushed upstairs to check her clothes and makeup, and after only a few minutes of scrutinizing, felt satisfied with how she looked. She began to leave when Patty stuck her head out of her room.

"Primping for Roxanne?" her sister questioned with a knowing look.

Rolling her eyes, Meg kept going. "Bye, Patty."

Sam was waiting at the end of the street when Meg got there. He greeted her with a shy smile and hello. It was the first time Meg had seen him really revert back to his old self since she had gotten home.

"So where are we going?" Sam asked as they began down the street. The sun had started to set.

"You'll see," Meg replied, glancing at her friend. It looked as if he had also taken a little more time with his appearance than normal. "Hope you don't mind walking for awhile, though."

"Not at all."

People were sitting on their porches, or taking walks in the neighborhood, and Meg ignored all the curious stares she and Sam were receiving. She could hardly believe how ignorant people still were.

"It's a nice night," Sam commented as they walked along the sidewalk and past some stores.

Meg had to agree. "We're almost there," she promised as they turned into an alley. She was glad the park where the fireworks went off was only two miles from her home.

Locating the right building, Meg grabbed hold of the fire escape attached to it's outside wall. She looked back at Sam.

He seemed confused. "Are we going up?"

Nodding, Meg smiled. "Roxanne and I came up here one time. You get a perfect view of the park."

"Alright," Sam agreed, sounding slightly unsure. He trusted her anyways, however, and followed Meg up the fire escape until they were on top of the building.

He looked out at what lay before them. "Wow, you can really see a lot from up here."

Meg stood beside him. "Yeah, well, I told you it was the perfect spot."

The two stood in silence, watching the sun slowly set in the west. Meg checked her watch. "It's almost eight-thirty. We've still got fifteen minutes."

They spent the fifteen minutes discussing the new store; how, as much as he liked college, Sam was glad it was summer vacation; and how Meg was coming along with her application to Penn, which she was hoping would be accepted for January semester, despite the fact that it was too late to send it in.

Color filled the sky and Meg stopped in the middle of her sentence to look out at the fireworks, which had finally started. She moved to the edge of the roof, Sam following and taking his spot beside her.

"Wow," she said as a rainbow of colors appeared in front of her. Meg rested her hands on the tall ledge that went up to her waist.

Sam nodded in the semi-darkness. Their faces were illuminated with each snap and crackle of a firework going off in the air. Clapping could be heard from below in the park, but Meg and Sam both kept their eyes on the sky.

When his larger right hand covered her smaller left, Meg knew she was no longer just smiling for the fireworks.

**XXX**


	7. Do or Die

**Disclaimer**: American Dreams rocks, but that doesn't mean I own it.

**A/N**: Sorry for taking awhile to get this chapter out. The story has turned_ extremely_ Meg/Sam,and will stay so in the future,so if you don't like that pairing, then, well, you've been warned.

Sigh. I can't believe we have to wait, like, a month for a new AD. I'm prepared, though. I've got my season one DVDs, the episodes from this season that I TiVo'd, and this fic.

AD dudes: keep watching the show! And thanks for the reviews!

**XXX**

He had held her hand the rest of the time they watched the fireworks.

That was the only thing Meg could think of during the ten minutes the sky was lit by colors only seen in crayon boxes. When they were over, she and Sam kept standing there, except now they were watching the people in the park below.

Meg kept snatching at anything she could think of to talk about; that was how much she didn't want him to let go of her hand. Sam seemed to understand and felt the same way, for he engaged in her meaningless thoughts.

"…So I don't know, that's why I can't call him Trip," Meg said, finishing her long explanation of why she didn't call her nephew 'Trip' like her uncle and two brothers.

Sam was smiling at her. Meg let her blue eyes wander and rest on his dark brown ones. She became suddenly shy.

"What?" she asked, moving her gaze to the horizon behind him.

He shrugged. "I don't know." He was still smiling.

Meg checked her watch; something she hadn't even thought to do once the fireworks had ended. It was nearly ten-thirty.

"We should probably start walking back," she said, the voice of reason.

Sam let out a small sigh that didn't go unnoticed by Meg. "Alright."

Their hands untwined unwillingly, and Meg went first down the fire escape, Sam following right behind her. Once firmly on the ground, they began walking again. Meg rubbed her arms with her hands and shivered a bit. She wished she had thought to bring a coat.

Sam noticed her shiver and stopped her on a street corner. He shrugged off the light jacket he was wearing and extended it towards her.

Meg shook her head. "No, I couldn't, you'll be cold-"

"Meg," Sam said with a smile, "just take the coat."

Becoming shy again, Meg accepted the brown jacket and slipped her arms into the sleeves. It was big on her, but she didn't mind. It smelled like Sam.

Their walk continued in silence, though every so often one of them would say something, and the other would give their opinion. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence; it was a calm one that could only rest between two people who knew each other.

"I can get the rest of the way by myself," Meg said with a smile as they stood on the sidewalk outside of her house, a streetlight beaming down on them.

"If you're sure," Sam joked. He kept smiling at her.

Meg knew this was it. It was a do or die type moment, and she wanted to do it. She could see Sam was having similar thoughts, because his smile got wider and he ever-so-slowly began leaning down.

She was closing her eyes, but before their lips made contact, a siren wailed loudly from the corner of the street. Shaken, both jumped back at the same time. Meg knew the moment was gone.

"Well, uh, thanks for letting me wear your jacket," Meg said, starting to take it off.

Sam held his hands up. "Keep it," he said. "You might get cold on your way to the door."

Meg grinned broadly and decided not to fight him on it. She clutched the coat close. "This was… really good."

"Yeah."

She thought maybe the moment was returning, though this time they were both much more self-conscious. She reached for his hand anyways, and held it in hers.

"Happy fourth of July," Sam finally said.

"You too," Meg nodded.

She swung their joined hands a few times, then glanced back up at him, letting go. "I'll see you tomorrow at the opening."

"Definitely," Sam agreed. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

He finally turned and the darkness of the late night swallowed him suddenly. Meg kept standing on the sidewalk, under the streetlight, thinking that that was the most prolonged goodnight she'd ever been through. It'd been worth it, though. As she turned and headed up the driveway and into the side door, she realized something.

She and Sam had almost _kissed_.

This thought sent Meg bounding into the house, past her mother, who was drinking tea, past Patty, who was coming out of the bathroom, and past Will, who was standing in his bedroom doorway.

She collapsed on her bed with a big, content sigh.

**XXX**

Today was the day. Her father's new store was opening.

Meg stood on the sidewalk outside the building in the early July heat, along with the rest of her family, plus the Walkers, plus a few other people who had come to see the great unveiling of the newest Pryor's TV and Radio, including Kyle, much to her chagrin. Roxanne had told her she was going to be showing up later in the afternoon.

She snatched a quick glance of Sam. Meg knew she was going to get caught sooner or later, for she had been doing it for the past twenty minutes since they had arrived. Neither had gotten a chance to talk to the other yet.

Jack finished his little speech he had been giving in front of the door, then handed a pair of scissors to Henry. Henry nodded to Jack, grinned at the crowd, and then cut the piece of ribbon that had been across the door with a snip. Everyone cheered, then entered the store.

Cool wind blew across them as Meg waited for others to go in before her, her blue sundress following the direction the wind was going. Sam stood on the other side of the line of people waiting to enter the store. Meg noted with a hidden smile that he was trying to subtly watch her, too.

Finally, the others had gone inside, and Meg knew it was no coincidence that she and Sam were the last two. Before either could enter, she started speaking, letting go of the door she had previously been holding open so it closed.

"So, uh, hi," she began stupidly, wanting to kick herself.

Sam took it well, and smiled. "Hey." They both paused. "How, uh, are you?"

"I'm good," Meg replied, tucking some hair behind her ear. The only thing she'd been able to think about all the night before and that morning was how Sam's hand had felt on hers; how they had almost _kissed_. "You?"

"Good."

The awkward tension was beginning to be too much for Meg, so she finally just came out with it, "I had an amazing time last night."

Sam seemed to have known this was coming. "Me too. The fireworks were great."

"No," Meg said, glancing at the ground, then back up at him. "I mean…besides the fireworks."

He got what she meant. "Oh," he smiled, "that was great too." Sam looked into the picture window beside them for a moment, then back at her.

"I…really like you, Sam," Meg said honestly, feeling brave and scared at the same time.

Sam nodded. "I like you too."

She could've floated off the ground. "Really?" Meg knew she didn't actually have to ask, she just wanted to hear him say it again.

"Yeah. You're a really nice girl, Meg. And…you've been great to me for a long time," Sam replied.

Meg smiled shyly, something she had suddenly started doing more often than ever before, and grabbed him by the arm, leading him away from the windows so they were just inside the alley beside the store.

"Maybe we could…go out again sometime," she said.

Sam looked torn. He was quiet for a minute. "Meg," he started in a way she didn't like, "I really like you, but…"

"But what?" She didn't understand how he could've just told her he liked her, and then gave her a 'but'.

"It's too hard," he finally said, hands in his pant pockets. "We're… different."

Meg crossed her arms over her chest. "So what?"

"Meg, no one will understand. It won't work out, and then we won't even be friends anymore."

"What makes you think we wouldn't work?"

"People. People make me think that, because-"

"It's none of their business anyways!" Meg burst out, throwing her hands up, tired of having the same argument everywhere she went. "It's between you and me, not the rest of the world! We shouldn't care what people think!"

"We have no choice!" Sam fought back. "It'd be too hard for us!"

Meg shook her head. "We haven't even started and you already want to quit?"

"It's not like we have a choice."

"We've been friends for a long time, Sam. We know each other. I've been there for you, you've been there for me, and we've always worked out fine!"

"That's when we were _friends_, Meg. I want to be with you, and I have for a long time, but we're…different!"

"Stop saying that!" Meg nearly shouted. She lowered her voice so passerby's on the sidewalk couldn't overhear. "I don't care what other people think. I thought you didn't either."

This made Sam stop. He didn't even reply; he just stood there, towering over her, watching her. He watched her for so long that Meg finally had to turn away, blushing.

Sam took a step towards her so they were inches apart. Meg looked back up into his face. "I know this is all happening fast, but I also know that you like me, and I like you, and even though I haven't been home that long, I've cherished the time we've spent together." She didn't know where these words were coming from; they didn't feel like things she'd ever say.

"So do you or don't you care what people think?" Meg finally asked, taking a small breath.

Instead of answering, Sam took another tiny step, tilted his head down, and let his lips make contact with hers; something that had been waiting to happen for over three years. He tasted sweet, which fit his personality perfectly.

Meg forgot what they had just been arguing about.

**XXX**


	8. Give It A Try

**Disclaimer**: American Dreams rocks. I wish I owned it. Sadly, I don't. But if I did, it would never end. Ever. Seriously.

**A/N**: Wow, guys, I totally suck for not updating in awhile. I've been insanely busy, so I haven't had a chance to write anymore, but I finished this chapter so I could put it out there for Christmastime (yay!). I want to think up some more plots and where I'm going with the story and stuff, and then I'll get back to writing. I have some idea, but since this is my main story right now, I want to basically finish it before starting any others.

You reviewers are incredibly awesome. Like, you're all just wicked cool. I can't get over these reviews, they're just too nice.

So Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, so on and so forth.

**XXX**

When they parted, Meg took a deep breath, having been caught so off-guard that she'd nearly forgotten how to function correctly. Sam was still gazing down at her, seeming to be shocked by his own behavior.

"Meg, I'm sorry… I don't know what I was thinking," he started quietly.

Shaking her head, Meg smiled a little. "It's okay."

They were quiet, just taking in the moment. Meg could hardly believe what had just happened. The feeling of Sam's lips on hers was running through her mind like a broken record.

"You never answered my question," she pointed out softly, the smile still on her face.

Sam scratched the back of his neck shyly. "I uh, thought that'd be answer enough."

"So you like me?"

"Meg, I already told you that I do," Sam said bashfully.

Meg grinned, just wanting to hear him say it. "And I like you too."

"Right."

There was an awkward silence, until Meg sighed. "So what do we do about this?"

"I guess we either stop now, or give this whole thing a try," Sam answered.

"You know what I want to do," she said slowly, averting her eyes so she didn't have to watch him. She was afraid they'd end up back where they had been minutes before: arguing. "It's up to you."

Sam took a minute. He seemed to be weighing the whole thing in his mind. Meg thought he'd never give her an answer, until-

"I think I want to give this thing a try," he said truthfully.

"But what about everyone else that you were talking about before?"

"Like you said, it's none of their business."

Meg finally let her eyes drift back to his. "So what do we do now?"

Sam seemed about to reply, but Roxanne appeared in the alley at that moment. She looked between the two of them with a smile. "Hey guys!"

"Hey Rox," Meg said, turning to her friend, hiding any sort of emotion she held from just seconds before. Sam nodded his greeting.

"So, what'd I miss?" Roxanne questioned eagerly, oblivious to what was going on between her two friends.

Well, Meg _thought_ she was oblivious.

**XXX**

"What happened with Sam?" Roxanne asked. She, Meg and Sam had joined the large group in the store, and Roxanne had led her best friend away from the festivities to a secluded corner.

"What are you talking about?" Meg said, playing dumb.

Roxanne rolled her eyes. "Meg, this is _me_ you're talking to. You can't lie to me. What was going on in the alley between you and Sam?"

Meg decided to let Roxanne wait for the answer. She sighed and glanced at the group, specifically at Sam, who was speaking alternately with his sister and Beth.

"Well?"

"We uh…kissed," Meg finally mumbled out.

Roxanne gasped and squealed. "Oh my God!" she nearly shouted.

Meg hushed her quickly, taking another glance at the others to see if anyone had heard. "Please, not so loud. I don't want anyone to find out."

"Why?" Roxanne questioned, a smile on her face.

"Because it _just_ happened. I don't know, we didn't really get to talk about anything before you showed up."

"Well how much _did_ you talk about?" Roxanne was fascinated.

Meg shifted from one foot to the other, not meeting her best friend's look. "We both decided we wanted to give it a try."

"Give _what_ a try?"

Shooting another glance towards the small crowd across the store, Meg said quietly, "Give dating a try."

"Oh my god," Roxanne said again, but this time she restrained herself from yelling. "Finally!"

"What do you mean, finally?" Meg asked with slight annoyance.

"Are you blind?" Roxanne shook her head. "Meg, you and Sam have obviously liked each other for a long time. It's just that both of you have always been too shy."

"Shy? I was dating Luke, and then Drew, and then Chris, and then Mark!" Meg defended, then felt stupid. She couldn't believe she was listing the guys she had dated. "And I liked all of them."

"Yeah, well, you've always liked Sam a little bit too, right? Plus, I mean, Luke was your first boyfriend when you hardly knew Sam, and Drew was in college, so that made him more appealing, and Chris was a bad-boy, also a turn-on, and Mark was older, and from California. But Sam's always been in the back of your mind, right?"

Meg took a beat too long, and her silence just confirmed Roxanne's assumption. "Yeah, well, it's always just seemed…impossible anyways, so I never really considered it," Meg confided.

"Well, it sort of was. And I guess it kind of still is. But not really," Roxanne replied, confusing her friend even more. "You need to talk to Sam and figure out what's going on between you two."

"Yeah, you're right," Meg agreed, glancing at the subject of their conversation for a moment. She looked away and couldn't help but smile a little. "I'm just worried about what my family will say."

"Then don't tell them," Roxanne said simply.

"What?"

"Don't tell them for now. If things get serious, then yeah, you probably should let your family know, but for now, just keep it to yourselves. And me," she added with a smirk.

Meg sighed for what seemed like the millionth time, finally letting her eyes rest on Sam and stay there. She had no idea what she was getting herself into. Though, the idea didn't seem so scary.

**XXX**

The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent milling around the now-opened store with family and friends. Meg had only spoken to Sam briefly when she'd gone to get something to drink and he'd been talking to her older brother. Otherwise, all the conversation between them had consisted between locked eyes and small smiles.

Meg sighed as she flopped down on her bed late that night, an application to the University of Pennsylvania in her hand. She'd barely even been able to say goodbye to Sam. And now she worried that he may change his mind.

"Meg?" Patty called, barging into her sister's room.

"What do you want?" Meg asked, exasperated. She set the application down on her nightstand.

Patty took a quick glance around the bedroom before saying, "Can I borrow your blue headband?"

Meg rolled her eyes and got up from her bed, going over to her dresser and getting the blue headband off the top. She handed it to Patty. "Here. Is that it?"

"Yup. Thanks," Patty said slowly. She didn't move, however.

"What?" Meg was getting annoyed now.

Patty shifted on her feet, but gave a superior look to Meg. "Where did you go when everyone else went into the store this afternoon? You and Sam disappeared for awhile."

Meg's breath caught in her throat for a second, but before Patty could even pick up on it, Meg had it covered. "He left something in the truck and I went with him to get it."

Patty stayed silent, analyzing her older sister. Meg just gave her a look.

"Uh huh," Patty finally said, unbelieving. She left before Meg could say anything else.

Huffing, Meg sat down on her bed for a moment, watching the door.

Patty _couldn't _know.

…Or at least, Meg _hoped_ she didn't.

**XXX**


	9. No Words Needed

**Disclaimer**: American Dreams is one of my favorite shows. However, that doesn't mean I own it.

**A/N**: So, I have _no_ idea where this story is going. I just wrote this chapter as the words came to me. The end of it is _major _cheesy-ness, but I love Meg/Sam, so, s'all good. Hope you like it anyway. By the way, this bit is more thoughts than dialogue, hope you don't mind. It's gonna be AU soon, since the new episodes start again Sunday (this Sunday! Ahhh! I'm so excited!).

Oh my gosh, I'm such an idiot. A few chapters before, instead of "University of Pennsylvania", I wrote "Pennsylvania University". Geez. When I'm done with the story I'll fix that.

You reviewers are wicked great. One of my favorite things about writing stories is getting your feedback. I'm glad you all like it :).

**XXX**

The mailbox closed with a resounding _thud _when Meg let go of it, having just dropped her second application to the University of Pennsylvania inside. She was hoping to be accepted in time for the second semester, as the woman who she'd spoken to at the office of Penn had said. Meg had made a call to the school two weeks prior, and talked to a kind woman who'd told her that if she sent in the application by July eighteenth, they'd have time to look it over and send it back in the middle of August. _Just in time for my birthday_, she'd thought.

It was July seventeenth. Not only was she sending it in a day before she absolutely had to, but it'd also been twelve days since she and Sam kissed, _and_ twelve days since she'd seen him.

Instead of spending every moment thinking about him, Meg had decided to put her time in good use, and had spent almost all of the past week and a half filling out the application.

Now, all there was to do was wait.

The original Pryor's TV and Radio was only a block ahead, so Meg decided to stop in and see if her father was there. There hadn't been a nasty comment between either since the argument about Sam.

"Damn," Meg swore under her breath, catching sight of just the person she didn't want to see. Ever.

"Meg!" Kyle said loudly with the cocky smile that Meg had noticed was always on his face.

With no choice now, Meg forged ahead, into the store. "I thought you were working at the new store," she said as politely as she could, moving some of her long, blonde bangs out of her face.

"I'm kinda back and forth," he told her, getting so close that Meg had to stop walking. "Haven't seen you lately. I thought you might've had a fight with your boyfriend or somethin'."

Meg blinked, wondering why he'd even say a thing like that. "My boyfriend? What are you talking about?"

Kyle smirked, the toothpick between his teeth moving along with his words. "Don't think I didn't see you two, Meg. I'm actually kinda disappointed."

Her breath hitched, but she covered up her shock as soon as she recovered. "Who did you see me with?" She tried to keep her voice from shaking. This couldn't be happening…

"You know who I'm talkin' about," he said, his voice dropping in volume, the smirk still on his face. "You'd better be careful. I don't think anyone's gonna be too happy about you two." The words came out in a threat-like way.

"I have no idea what you mean," she said stiffly, then turned and exited.

_Great, _Meg thought_, I haven't seen Sam in twelve days, I don't know if I'll be accepted again into college, and now _two_ people might know what happened in the alley._

Home seemed like the best place to go at that moment.

**XXX**

John was screaming his head off. Meg lifted him out of his playpen and tried rocking him back and forth in her arms. She was beginning to regret agreeing to baby-sit this sunny afternoon.

Beth had gone into work, as had JJ, who was now an employee at Pryor's TV and Radio. He'd been hired as the new football coach at East Catholic, but practices didn't start until the beginning of August. The young parents had been searching for a babysitter last-minute, and Meg had offered her services, since she had nothing better to do. She'd sent in her application two days before, so it was still too soon to be worrying about the letter coming.

Jack was also at the store, Helen was at the travel agency with Patty, who was helping out during her summer vacation, and Will was at a friend's house. Uncle Pete was cruising the streets, and Roxanne was starting her new job. That left Meg. Home alone. With a screaming baby. Not to mention, it felt as if it were a hundred degrees. Her father still insisted they didn't need an air conditioner. He was beginning to cave, though.

"How did Mom do this four times?" she wondered aloud, still bouncing up and down. John may have been one-and-a-half, but he still had the wail of a newborn. The whole experience was definitely making her re-think the whole parenting idea.

John finally calmed down, and just in time, as the doorbell rang the second after she had set him back in his playpen, where he immediately began playing with some plastic rings.

Entering the hallway from the living room, which was scattered with baby toys, Meg opened the door to find the last person she'd expected standing on her steps.

"Sam."

He gave her a shy smile and a nod. "Hey Meg."

They stood like that, just staring at each other, for some time, until Meg regained her sense of what was going on, and stepped back, inviting him in. He caught sight of the mess in the living room and gave her a look.

"John is, uh, fussy," she explained awkwardly.

Sam nodded. "Oh." He glanced at the baby, who had stopped his quiet mumblings and was watching the two adults with interest.

"So, this is a surprise," Meg said tentatively.

"Yeah, well, it's been two weeks, and I was just, uh, in the neighborhood, with a delivery…" Sam fidgeted nervously.

Not knowing what to do, Meg just nodded, standing with her arms down at her sides. Needing _something_ to do, she began picking up a few toys. "I'm sorry, for the mess, I'm babysitting, and no one's around so I've been trying to figure out which stuff he likes best…"

"Meg," Sam said, and she stopped her nervous babbling to look at him. She held an action figure in her hand. "We never really got to talk after…what happened," he pointed out.

"Yeah, I've been meaning to, uh, find you, but every time I went to the store you weren't there," Meg told him, clutching the figure in her hands tightly.

"I think I've been avoiding you," he said outright, and Meg was caught off-guard.

"What?"

"I just wasn't sure…about everything. I mean I know we talked about it, but we never _really _talked about it." He shook his head at himself and chuckled. "I'm not making sense."

"No, I know what you mean," Meg said slowly.

They stayed silent, and Meg wondered if she was breathing or not. She took a cautious step forward at the same time Sam did, and before she knew it, they were inches apart. She wasn't sure how the gap had been closed so quickly, but at the moment she didn't care.

Everything with Sam, though not much had happened yet between them, felt so different from her past crushes. With Jimmy there was the way her eyes would immediately go to his face, just to take in how handsome he was, and the fact that he'd chosen her as his dancing partner. With Luke there was a rush of butterflies in her stomach, and the notion would cross her mind that he was her _boyfriend_. Her _first_ boyfriend. With Drew there had been the fact that he was in college that made her insides wobble. He was older, and more mature (or so she thought), and more _experienced_, and he introduced her to the world of protesting, and rebelling. With Chris, well, he was dangerous. He was a risk-taker, and he let her find the extent of how far she'd really go for something she believed in. He'd been sweet, too, but in a way that still made her question if he were true or not. With Mark, well, he was from across the country; a California guy who was laid-back, and older, and had taken an interest in her. He'd almost been an _experiment_.

None of those relationships had worked out. But Sam…

Meg had always had a special place in her heart for her friend. She'd looked past the color of his skin, the racism that she was supposed to feel, and he had done the same with her. She'd found a true friend, a confident, a guy in her life (outside of her family) who'd never intentionally disappoint her or lie to her. It was as if he were a silent boyfriend: it was never acknowledged, and they didn't participate in the normal 'couple' activities, but he'd been there. They were similar in their tastes, but different in so many more ways. When they were stuck in the middle of that riot in North Philly a few years before, he'd protected her and comforted her. He'd been arrested along with her when they'd sat-in at Penn. When they fought, or weren't speaking, it actually made her cry.

It wasn't even about race anymore; Meg could care less what someone's skin color was. It was about his heart, which she'd always been unconsciously holding in hers, even when they both thought they were in love with someone else.

At only inches apart, with her gazing up at him and him gazing down at her, she couldn't resist softly saying: "Haven't we been here before?"

He never answered. His lips on hers would've made it a bit difficult. Besides, Meg liked this kind of communication a lot more.

**XXX**

**A/N II**: Not sure when the next update will be. Whenever the bunny bites, I suppose. I've got mid-terms fast approaching, so studying for those is gonna take up a lot of my time.


	10. Getting Along

**Disclaimer**: I heart American Dreams. But that doesn't change the fact that it's not mine.

**A/N**: Ah! I feel so guilty for not updating in so long! I just couldn't think of where to go with this story! I'm not sure of a plot, or big issues, or _anything_, except for the Smeg (heh heh)! And the past two new episodes that have aired totally make this AU, what with Chris and Meg sleeping together and such. So basically, this story contains events up to "_Tidings of Comfort and Joy_", and that's it.

I've got mid-terms all next week, and I'm going to New York tomorrow for the whole long weekend, so I don't think an update is going to be for another long while, since I'll have no time to write, which sucks, but that's life for you. Keep watching the new episodes!

Awesome reviews. You guys are great, and the feedback is much appreciated.

**XXX**

Minutes later, Meg stepped back, putting distance between she and Sam. She sighed. "We have to actually finish a conversation one of these times," she said.

Sam blushed. "Sorry."

"No, it's okay. I just…we just need to be clear on what we're doing before we…do anything else." Meg took a deep breath, and, being more forward than she was used to, ask, "Do you want to _date_ me?"

Lifting his head to level his eyes with hers, Sam nodded slowly. "Yeah."

Meg tried to hide the smile that showed up as he said the word. "Yeah?"

"Yes," Sam repeated. He let out a breath. "I don't know how we're gonna make this work, but I really want to date you, Meg."

"Well I really want to date you too, so that's probably a good way to start," she said, still keeping her distance. After a moment of silence, she asked, confused, "So what did we just decide?"

"I think we just decided that we want to date each other."

"Okay."

"Okay."

John threw something at the bars of his playpen. The toy gave a feeble squeak, and then dropped to the ground. Meg had nearly forgotten the baby was there, and jumped a little when she heard the noise.

"What do we do now?" Sam questioned slowly.

Meg took her time thinking. "You should probably take me on a date."

Grinning, Sam took a step towards her. "Will you go out on a date with me this Friday night, Meg?"

Pretending to consider, Meg tapped her finger against her cheek in consideration. "Well…I _guess_." His smile made her giggle.

The clock- a loner from the store until their normal one was fixed- struck two, and let out a whistle. Both adults turned to look at it, before Sam jumped into action.

"Oh, I was supposed to be back ten minutes ago," he said quickly.

Meg nodded as he rushed to the door. "Alright."

Sam turned as he opened the front door. "I'll see you at the store tomorrow?"

Her grin faltered as she thought of the store, where Kyle was most likely going to be. But she felt like she couldn't say to Sam's sweet face. "Definitely."

He still stood at the door, so Meg decided to take a few quick steps forward and give him a fast kiss on the cheek; nothing big, just a peck. She watched as the truck pulled away from the outside of her house and disappeared down her street, back towards the center of the city.

John made some noises as he played with a toy airplane. Meg turned to look at him.

"You didn't see anything," she told the baby conversationally, smoothing her blonde hair.

He blinked at her in response.

**XXX**

"Are you okay, Meg? You seem a bit preoccupied," Helen said as she folded laundry with her eldest daughter later that evening.

Meg blinked slowly, and then nodded, folding one of Will's t-shirts. "I'm fine, there's just a lot on my mind," she replied.

"I know waiting for the letter from Penn must be nerve-wracking," Helen began as she added a pair of pants to her growing pile of clothes, "but it still won't be here for awhile. Just enjoy summer while you can."

Giving her mother a smile, Meg nodded. "I will."

The two kept folding laundry in silence. The house was empty, except for the two of them. Meg hardly noticed. She could only think about Sam.

"I talked to Mrs. Larson at the market earlier," Helen told her daughter. The Larsons were their neighbors who lived across the street and a few houses over. "She said she had seen Sam come in the house, and that he was here for awhile. Did he bring the radio back?"

_Stupid gossips_, Meg internally groaned, and prepared to feed the first of many more lies that would be used when it came to Sam. "No, uh, he thought he had it with him, but it was actually someone else's. Then I wanted him to see this new record I got," she finished confidently. Her time with Chris had forced her develop _excellent_ lying skills.

"Oh," Helen said. "He's been helping your father out so much at the store, I don't know what he'd do without him."

"Sam is great," Meg agreed honestly with a small smile, which she thought her mother didn't notice.

Helen, however, watched her out of the corner of her eye. "So how's Roxanne's new job?"

"Fine. She's working almost every day at the salon. She's almost got enough to buy her own apartment."

"That's nice," Helen commented sincerely. "Tell her she's always welcomed for dinner."

"She knows," Meg said, her mind still wandering.

Helen was becoming more curious as the seconds ticked by as she watched her oldest daughter. She'd raised this girl herself; she knew when something was on Meg's mind. She had a feeling it might have to do with Sam.

"So Sam is going to be a junior at Penn this year?" she asked casually.

Meg's eyes flickered for a moment. Her mother had never really shown an interest in Sam before. "Uh, yeah. As long as he keeps running track, he maintains his scholarship."

"It's nice that you two have stayed friends for so long. He's a nice boy," Helen baited, finishing her folding.

"Yes, he's a great friend," Meg replied, completing her own pile of laundry. She stood as soon as she placed the last shirt on the top of the tall stack of clothes. "Well um, I told Patty I'd go with her to pick up Will from his friend's house…"

Helen smiled at her daughter. "Go on, I think she's on the phone in her room."

"Alright." Meg flashed a quick grin towards her mother, and practically rushed up the stairs. Patty was eager to get out on the road, so it wasn't hard to exit the house.

Meg had a sneaking suspicion that her mother was going to be prying a lot in the coming days.

**XXX**

"Turn right," Meg instructed her sister as they drove out of their neighborhood. She and Patty had never really gotten along, so the silence between them was normal.

"Hey Meg?" Patty asked tentatively, making Meg turn and glance at her.

"Yeah?"

"When you wanted to get Luke to notice you, what did you do?"

The question shocked Meg. Her sister was asking her for advice? "Well, Patty, it's a little late. Luke left last fall after Roxanne and I went to California," she joked.

Roxanne and Luke had rekindled their romance for a few months, before the two girls decided to follow Bandstand the summer before. Luke had said he'd wait in Philadelphia for Roxanne to get back. He didn't.

"Ugh, never mind."

"No, no, okay, tell me." Meg wanted to be nice.

"Alright," Patty agreed carefully. "So…I like Grant."

"Take a left. Wait, Grant Stevens?"

"Yes. And Emily said that Grant's best friend Hank told her that Grant said that he likes me."

Meg shook her head slowly, trying to understand. "Okay, so, Emily said that Hank said that Grant said that he likes you? Take another left. And you like him?" she reiterated.

"Yes, I do. But I'm not sure what I should do. I've never really liked a guy this much ever since I skipped a grade and went to East Catholic."

"You should just tell him."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because what if he _doesn't_ like me? I don't want to tell him, and then have him laugh in my face, ruining the tiny bit of a reputation I've gained," Patty said matter-of-factly.

"Patty, that shouldn't matter. Just tell him. If he _does_ like you, like Emily says, then it could be a great thing," Meg told her honestly.

Patty considered this for a moment, then turned to look at her older sister for a brief second. "You know, you've been a lot nicer since you've come back from California. Before, you never would've even listened to me."

"That's not true," Meg defended, then pondered the statement. "Alright, maybe it _is_ true. But being in California, away from everyone…made me miss you all."

"We missed you too," Patty said quietly, keeping her eyes on the road. She turned into the driveway of Will's friend's house.

Meg took the moment to examine the sixteen-year-old beside her. She was so used to her annoying, bratty little sister, that it was hard adjusting to this semi-mature, almost _cool_ teenager.

Patty looked at her and gave her a half-smile. Meg shot one back as Will hopped into the backseat of the car.

"Hey," he said, noticing their identical looks. "What'd I miss?"

"Nothing, Will," Patty dismissed, putting the car in reverse and backing out of the driveway. "You're too young to understand."

Meg just shook her head, laughing to herself. Who ever thought she'd be getting along with _Patty_?

And as they drove home, she realized that she hadn't thought about Sam at _all_ for half an hour. Of course, once that crossed her mind, it was all she could concentrate on for the rest of the night.

**XXX**


End file.
